The present invention relates to a sterile wound packing and a package therefor, and, more particularly to a wound packing in the form of a flexible spirally-cut layer capable of absorbing wound exudate and a package for dispensing the wound packing.
Secreting skin wounds, such as decubitus ulcers and open surgical wounds, have long presented a medical challenge in keeping such wounds sterile and relatively dry. Deep wounds provide an even greater challenge. The accumulation of wound exudate, such as blood, pustulation, and other wound fluids, in wound crevices, promotes growth of bacteria and other organisms which cause infection and delay the healing process. Such wound exudate may also cause maceration of tissue adjacent the wound and support infection thereof.
However, since it is often desirable to allow a wound to heal in a slightly "moist" state, which is believed to accelerate healing, excess wound exudate must be removed. If excess wound exudate remains in or on a wound, a "blister" of exudate can form under the wound dressing which is not only unsightly, but also may cause the dressing to leak, thereby defeating the aim of sterility. However, existing methods of aspiration can lead to wound infection or can destroy sterility. Additionally, it is not desirable to remove all exudate as that would result in a "dry" wound resulting in a slower healing process.
There is a substantial body of prior art relating to wound and/or surgical dressings or packings for treating skin lesions, such as decubitus ulcers and open wounds. In some instances, the wound dressing or packing may be designed to be only temporary, such as the use of gauze to absorb blood and/or other wound exudate. In others, the wound dressing is designed to be more permanent in nature, remaining in place for several hours or days during the healing process. In yet other instances, the wound dressing material is designed to be biodegradable and to break down over an extended period of time as a wound heals.
Aqueous moisture absorbing materials, such as a hydrogel material with a polyethylene glycol liquid curing agent, as disclosed in Spence, U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,232, have been used as dressings on a wound site, but cannot be sterilized by irradiation due to the formation of free radicals within the aqueous material. Another aqueous absorbing material used to absorb wound exudate is a hydrophilic polymer as disclosed in Rawlings et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,006. Rawlings et al disclose a wound dressing which comprises a hydrophilic polymer having moisture and vapor permeability characteristics. However, a problem with the Rawlings et al wound dressing is that the wound exudate absorbed by the hydrophilic polymer hardens or solidifies the polymer, allowing pockets to develop between the polymer and the wound, thereby providing an excellent environment for bacteria proliferation.
In addition, wound dressings used in the past have not been conducive for healing extremely deep wounds and wounds having irregular shapes. To that end, wound dressings and surgical sponges formed from gauze and foam materials have been used for many years in surgical practice. These sponges and wound dressings have attempted to retain both the advantages of thin, soft and flexible single layer dressings and the absorptive cushioning and insulating properties of thicker pad-like structures. As a result, the sponges and wound dressings have traditionally been formed of multiple layers of thin, soft, low-count gauze material which are unified along fairly widely separated lines usually extending longitudinally or transversely.
Although such wound dressings and surgical sponges have been found useful in the past, none have provided the capability of absorbing large amounts of wound exudate without inhibiting the healing of the wound to which they are contacted. Most all of these dressings, including gauze and sponges, adhere to the wound upon removal, thereby damaging the wounds to which they are attached. This in turn prolongs the healing of such wounds. It would therefore be desirable to have a wound dressing or packing having a structure which is thin, flexible and soft yet absorbs wound exudate in the same manner as the more thick pad-like wound dressings.
Another problem with prior wound dressings or packings is the need to maintain their sterile condition both prior to use and during application to a wound. To maintain sterility, the wound dressings are packaged in metal foil or metallized plastic containers. Dry gauze dressings are often packaged in small glass bottles, while aqueous hydrogel wound dressings require moisture barrier packaging to prevent them from drying out during storage prior to use. In many instances, the packaging and labor requirements for such products represent a significant additional cost over and above the cost of the wound dressing itself and/or is difficult for an end user to open or dispense the wound dressing.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a wound packing which is especially conducive for wounds which penetrate the surface of the skin. There is also a need for such a wound packing which has a thin, flexible and soft structure so as to permit the wound packing to be sterilized and readily available for application to a draining wound having irregular shapes and depths. Finally, there is a need for such a wound dressing which can be conveniently packaged and dispensed while maintaining its sterility.